-----Original Message----- From: Roderick Aldridge [mailto:rod-aldridge(a)xnet.co.nz] Sent: Thursday, 9 July 2009 9:26 a.m. To: Waikato Linux Users Group Subject: Google announces Chrome operating system Speculation that Google is developing a web-focused operating system is confirmed by the announcement. http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html "Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. ........................... The software architecture is simple - Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. For application developers, the web is the platform. All web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be written using your favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run not only on Google Chrome OS, but on any standards-based browser on Windows, Mac and Linux thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform." Big long-term implications for FOSS, Microsoft and many others. Some comments: http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/ http://kottke.org/04/04/google-operating-system http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8139711.stm http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/07/five-things-googles-chrome-os-wil l-do-for-your-netbook/ http://mashable.com/2009/07/07/google-chrome-operating-system/ We live in interesting times. Rod